Cádiz

Cádiz is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula and one of the oldest in all southwestern Europe. Traditionally, its founding is dated to 1104 BC.

The city was founded by Phoenicians from Tyre, who called it Gadir. Over the years the city changed hands (and names!) many times. It was inhabited by the Romans, destroyed by the Visigoths, rebuilt by the Byzantines, and occupied by the Moors until they were removed in 1262 AD by the Spanish.

Christopher Columbus sailed from Cádiz on his second and fourth voyages, and the city later became the home port of the Spanish treasure fleet.

In the 18th century, it became one of Spain's greatest and most cosmopolitan cities and home to trading communities from many countries. Many of today's historic buildings in the Old City date from this era.

The city has undergone much reconstruction. Many monuments, cathedrals, and landmarks have been cleaned and restored, adding to the charm of this ancient city.

Cádiz has a Mediterranean climate with very mild winters and warm to hot summers. Cádiz one of the sunniest cities in Europe with more than above 3000 hours of sun a year. Although summer nights are tropical in nature, daytime temperatures are comparatively subdued compared to nearby inland areas such as Jerez and the very hot far inland areas in Andalusia.

The closest airport is Jerez de la Frontera, about 30 minutes by car or taxi (fixed price €46), 1 hour by direct bus, though there are few buses and the schedules do not fit most flights. Trains to Jerez Aeropuerto are usually fit for national flights. There are several daily flights to Madrid and Barcelona (Iberia, Vueling). Ryanair flies daily to London Stansted and Frankfurt Hahn. Other operators fly scheduled, charter, or seasonal flights. The nearest major airports are in Sevilla (1 hour by car, 2 hours by bus or train) and Malaga (2-3 hours by car or bus).

For Jerez-Cádiz and other medium range timetables see this site. Most long range buses are handled by Comes from the new Central Bus Station, adjacent to the Railway Station.

• 🌍 Cádiz railway station (Estación de Cádiz), Plaza de Sevilla, 1. (updated Jul 2019)

Frequent trains run to Jerez and about hourly to Seville. A very convenient way to come in from Madrid is with the Talgo train that runs twice a day covering the distance in about 5 hours.

From Jerez to Cadiz fares are only €5 for an adult and €3 for a child - see train timetable here .

Trains from Seville are around €16 for a single and €20 for a return. If you get a return you have to book your seat reservation for the way back upon arrival at the station, otherwise you'll be expected to pay the full fare!

One or two intercity trains travel from Cadiz directly to Spain's east coast, no changes required. The journey from Valencia takes around 8h30, passes through a wide variety of landscapes and at a lower price than a high-speed connection via Madrid.

From Madrid, Cordoba and Seville you can use the A4, from Barcelona N340. A taxi ride from Jerez de la Frontera to Cadiz costs about €50.

Cádiz is one of two ports in mainland Spain with ferry connections to the Canary Islands. Transmediterranea runs one weekly sailing to and from Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote (36-40 hr). Unfortunately tariffs are relatively high, particularly for non-residents: around €400 for a cabin or €140 for a recliner, one-way (July 2023). Ferries are modern and comfortable, resembling mini cruise ships.

Commuter ferries run several times per day from Rota and Puerto de Santa Maria, operated by CMTBC. Additionally, Cádiz is a popular destination for cruise ships.

All ferries arrive at the harbour directly adjacent to the old town.

Cruise ships occasionally stop in Cadiz; in particular Cunard line uses Cadiz as a port.

The old town of Cádiz is one of the most densely populated urban areas in Europe, and is packed with narrow streets. The old town benefits, though, from several striking plazas, which are enjoyed by citizens and tourists alike. These are the Plaza de Mina, Plaza San Antonio, Plaza de Candelaria, Plaza de San Juan de Dios, and Plaza de España.

Located in the heart of the old town, Plaza de Mina was developed in the first half of the 19th century. The land had been the orchard of the convent of San Francisco, and was converted into a plaza in 1838. It was then redeveloped again in 1897, and has remained virtually unchanged since that time. The houses which face the plaza, many of which can be classified as neo-classical architecture or built in the style of Isabelline Gothic, were built for the Cádiz bourgeoisie.

The Plaza de la Catedral houses the Cathedral and the Baroque church of Santiago, built in 1635.

Located next to Plaza de Mina, this smaller square houses the San Francisco church and convent. It was built in 1566, and was substantially renovated in the 17th century, when its cloisters were added. The Plaza de Mina used to be the convent's orchard.

In the 19th century, Plaza San Antonio was considered to be Cádiz's main square. The square is surrounded by a number of mansions built in neo-classical architecture or Isabelline Gothic style, once occupied by the Cádiz upper classes. San Antonio church, built in 1669, is also in the plaza.

The plaza was built in the 18th century, and the Spanish Constitution of 1812 was proclaimed here.

The Plaza de Candelaria is named after the Candelaria convent, situated in the square until it was demolished in 1873 under the First Spanish Republic, when its grounds were redeveloped as a plaza. The plaza is notable for a statue in its centre of Emilio Castelar, president of the first Spanish republic, who was born in a house facing the square. A plaque situated on another house, states that Bernardo O'Higgins, an Irish-Chilean adventurer and dictator of Chile, also lived in the square.

One of Cádiz's most famous landmarks is its cathedral. Work on this cathedral started in 1722 and was supervised by the architect Vicente Acero, who had also built the Granada Cathedral. Acero resigned from the project and was succeeded by several other architects. As a result, this largely Baroque-style cathedral was built over a period of 116 years, and, due to this drawn-out period of construction, the cathedral underwent several major changes to its original design. Though the cathedral was intended to be a baroque edifice with some rococo elements, it was completed in the Neoclassical architecture|neoclassical style. Climb to the top of the North Tower for a nice view of the entire city.

Construction of this plaza began in the 15th century on lands reclaimed from the sea. With the demolition of the city walls in 1906 the plaza increased in size and a statue of the Cádiz politician Segismundo Moret was unveiled. Overlooking the plaza, the Ayuntamiento is the town hall of Cádiz's Old City.

The Plaza de España is a large square close to the port. It is dominated by the Monument to the Constitution of 1812, which came into being as a consequence of the demolition of a portion of the old city wall.

The theater was built between 1884 and 1905 over the remains of the previous Gran Teatro. The outside was covered in red bricks and is of a neo-Mudéjar or Moorish Revival style.

The Constitution of 1812 Bridge, also known as La Pepa Bridge, is a new bridge across the Bay of Cádiz, linking Cádiz with the town of Puerto Real.

This is one of the highest bridges in Europe, with 5 km in total length. It is the third access to the city, along with the San Fernando road and the Carranza bridge.

This tower was located on a high point in the city, near the Central Market (Mercado de Abastos), 45 m above sea level. It was chosen by the Navy as their official lookout in 1787. It is the tallest of the towers which still dot the Cádiz skyline. There is a camera obscura, a room that uses the principle of the pinhole camera and a specially prepared convex lens to project panoramic views of the Old City onto a concave disc. One of the towers that was used by merchants to watch out for their ships returning home from the Americas, it provides a birds-eye view of the old part of town.

The Casa del Almirante is a palatial house, adjacent to the Plaza San Martín in the Barrio del Pópulo, which was constructed in 1690 with the proceeds of the lucrative trade with the Americas. The exterior is sheathed in exquisite red and white Genoan marble. The colonnaded portico, the grand staircase under the cupola, and the hall on the main floor are architectural features of great nobility and beauty.

Situated within the confines of the walls which protect the flank of the port of Cádiz are three identical adjacent buildings: the Customs House, the House of Hiring and the Consulate. Of the three, the former had been erected first, built in a sober neo-classical style and of ample and balanced proportions. The works began in 1765.

Cádiz's refurbished tobacco factory offers international conference and trade-show facilities.

The Roman theatre was discovered in 1980, in the El Pópulo district, after a fire had destroyed some old warehouses, revealing a layer of construction that was judged to be the foundations of some medieval buildings; the foundations of these buildings had been built, in turn, upon much more ancient stones, hand-hewn limestone of a Roman character. Systematic excavations have revealed a largely intact Roman theatre.

The theatre, constructed during the 1st century BC, is the second-largest Roman theatre in the world, surpassed only by the theatre of Pompeii.

The Pylons of Cádiz are electricity pylons of unusual design, one on either side of the Bay of Cádiz, used to support huge electric-power cables. The pylons are 158 m high.

Las Puertas de Tierra originated in the 16th century. Once consisting of several layers of walls, only one of these remain today. By the 20th century it was necessary to remodel the entrance to the Old City to accommodate modern traffic. Today, the two side-by-side arches cut into the wall serve as one of the primary entrances to the city.

El Arco de los Blancos is the gate to the Populo district, built around 1300. It was the principal gate to the medieval town. The gate is named after the family of Felipe Blanco who built a chapel (now disappeared) above the gate.

El Arco de la Rosa ("Rose Arch") is a gate carved into the medieval walls next to the cathedral. It is named after captain Gaspar de la Rosa, who lived in the city during the 18th century. The gate was renovated in 1973.

The Baluarte de la Candelaria (fortress or stronghold of Candlemas) is a military fortification. Taking advantage of a natural elevation of land, it was constructed in 1672. Protected by a seaward-facing wall that had previously served as a seawall, Candelaria's cannons were in a position to command the channels approaching the port of Cádiz. It is now used as a cultural venue.

The Castle of San Sebastián is also a military fortification and is situated at the end of a road leading out from the Caleta beach. It was built in 1706.

The Castle of Santa Catalina is also a military fortification at the end of the Caleta beach. It was built in 1598 following the English sacking of Cádiz two years earlier. It is used for exhibitions and concerts.

Calle Marques de Cadiz has several budget options, doubles at about €35 with shared bath.

• Cadiz Inn Backpackers, Hostel, Calle Botica 2, ☏ +34 956 26 23 09, booking@cadizbackpackers.es. Check-in: 13:00, check-out: 11:00. Cheap, clean and welcoming hostel with international staff, located in the old town, within easy walking distance of the bus and train station. Dorms from €13, rooms from €20. 
• Casa Caracol. Inexpensive and quite relaxed hostel in the old part, very close to the train station and with hammocks on the rooftop. 
• Hostal La Cantarera. A hostel with clean, luxurious rooms and friendly management, in the old town. 

• Hotel Playa Victoria, Glorieta Ingeniero La Cierva, 4. 
• 🌍 Hotel BahiaSur, Caño Herrera, S/N 11100 San Fernando (Cádiz), ☏ +34 956 88 00 86, info@hotelbahiasur.com. (updated Sep 2018)

• Hotel Almenara, Avenida Almenara, Sotogrande, ☏ +34 95 6582000. 4-star hotel in the tranquillity of Sotogrande. There are 148 rooms available, a golf course, a spa, a gym and swimming pools. Rooms from €107. 
• 🌍 Hotel Fuerte Conil-Costa Luz, Playa de la Fontanilla, s/n - 11140 Conil de la Frontera, ☏ +34 95 644 33 44. This exclusive four-star Conil de la Frontera hotel is of traditional Andalucian design surrounded by almost 25,000 m² of breath-taking gardens. 
• Hotel Monte Puertatierra. 4-star establishment, set in the historic, artistic and commercial centre, just a few metres from the beach. It has 98 large rooms, free WiFi, rooms for meetings and wedding receptions, parking facilities and a wide offer of services. 
• 🌍 Hostal Torre de Guzman, Calle Hospital, 5 11140 Conil de la Frontera, ☏ +34 956 44 30 61. A two-star hostel 150 m from the beach of Los Bateles and the historic center.